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25,000 Bees!

Awesome! you probably shave 4 times a day, wrestle bear, and eat glass. More of a man than I am.
 
Rod said:
That's cool! I have thought about starting a honey bee hive. There are tons of videos on youtube depicting how to start a bee hive. Luckily, you probably won't get stung too much, as honey bees are very docile. We have africanized killer bees in So Cal, and they're aggressive.

Keep us posted on your progress. I'll trade you some cigars for homemade honey comb.

What did the queen cost?
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My bees are hybrid Russians with Russian Queens. They are a bit more agressive than some, but winter better and are more suited to the crazy swings in the weather that we get here. I've heard a few reports of africanized bees coming close to here because people ordered bees from untrustworthy sources but I've never seen them. I'll definately set aside some comb for you Rod, granted this is a success. I actually started the project for the bees themselves and not the honey. I am hoping they will help increase the yields in my garden and with my buddies' fruit trees. The honey is just a bonus.

I don't know how tough I am, stupid maybe. They really are pretty mellow. The sound is what gets my heart racing. When they are all agitated I can feel the buzz in my spine and it is a bit scary. The next step is to see if my colonies accept the queens and get the brood chambers going. I'm crossing my fingers they don't kill her. You can get started for about $400 if anyone is interested. I would sincerly suggest taking a class from a master beekeeper. They have some great tips that would have saved me a good bit of money had I not just hopped in.
 
Since you're not in it for the honey that's great news for us. :D When its ready I know I'll bee in line to send you money or cigars. Make sure you keep us updated with pics, please.

Ian
 
Lawnmowers and bee hives are not compatible (something about the sound of the engine). Be careful when you mow. :whistling:
 
I'd like to do it, but don't want all of the bees near my house. Looks like you have a pretty good size property to keep the bees far enough from your house.
 
I make candles from beeswax as a hobby. When you get a few pounds of it, let me know and I'll buy it from you.
 
You set it up after reading a book and talking to a few people! You have more nerve than I. We live in the middle of a couple large veggie farms and have plenty of perenial gardens on my property and I always wanted to start keeping bees. I met a guy about 5 years ago who was well established as a bee keeper and he helped me with a set up last year. With the mild winter we had here in the NE I had no problems with them making it through. I just supplied some simple syrup. I'm hoping to harvest some honey this summer. So far they been perfect pets. IMHO.
 
StatHaldol said:
I make candles from beeswax as a hobby. When you get a few pounds of it, let me know and I'll buy it from you.
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My wife wants to do the same. I'd be willing to swap beeswax for some advice on how to do it.

thinde said:
You set it up after reading a book and talking to a few people! You have more nerve than I. We live in the middle of a couple large veggie farms and have plenty of perenial gardens on my property and I always wanted to start keeping bees. I met a guy about 5 years ago who was well established as a bee keeper and he helped me with a set up last year. With the mild winter we had here in the NE I had no problems with them making it through. I just supplied some simple syrup. I'm hoping to harvest some honey this summer. So far they been perfect pets. IMHO.
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I'm a little worried about wintering, but they should be somewhat protected with the windrows behind the boxes. Did it take you the summer to get your brood boxes going or did you just not try to put supers on? I went ahead and built two medium supers and though I'd try the Pierco frames if it didn't look like I'd have time to produce honey. I also built the wooden frames because I've heard plastic causes them to build the comb wrong. I've heard both sides of the story. What kind of feeder to you use during the winter. I got the top style but the entrance is on one side of the hive and not in the middle and I was told that bees will starve before they move too far in the cold. I may have to rethink my feeding setup.
 
Wow that's pretty cool. Are you putting the queen in an isolation chamber so that the other bees can get use to her scent? I saw a documentary lately about commercial bee colonies suddenly disappearing cuz of all the pesticides and unnatural habitats that they're being exposed to while being transported all over the US. Local bee keepers might be a good way of restoring general bee population health.
 
Setharsis said:
Wow that's pretty cool. Are you putting the queen in an isolation chamber so that the other bees can get use to her scent? I saw a documentary lately about commercial bee colonies suddenly disappearing cuz of all the pesticides and unnatural habitats that they're being exposed to while being transported all over the US. Local bee keepers might be a good way of restoring general bee population health.
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The queen comes in a separate cage with a few attentents. Since she doesn't "belong" to that colony she has to stay in there until they become less agressive or they'll kill her and I'll have to purchase a new queen. Pesticides have played a huge roll in the demise of the bee population, but in the scheme of things the US was not hit that hard except for places like California where things like almond trees have to be pollinated by bees.
 
Aussie Shaun said:
I would love to have bees but the little buggers send me into an anaphylaxis shock, damn allergies, I love fresh honey from the hive.
Good luck with the new hobby Nate, I hope they give you lots and lots of the golden goodness for years to come.
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I'm with Shaun on this. I'd like to do it, but I'm not a fan of having to self medicate with an epi-pen.
 
I have two supers. We didn't bother looking for honey last summer. I was told to leave it for the first year to help them winter over. I put simple syrup candy on the top of the frames, just under the inside cover. I checked them once a month by putting my ear to the side of the frame to be sure there wasn't any issues. I was pretty cool hearing the buzzing. If it had been a more severe winter I would have wrapped the supers to stop the breeze from going through. I was told the problem is more with the wind than the cold but I know when I see frames in VT in the middle of the winter they aren't protected at all so who knows.
 
Sounds like a great hobby to start. I think it would be cool to do something like that, but I don't have the room at my house to even think about it.
 
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